Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:56 pm by nickhaulass
You're absolutely right! I will post up a build thread on this once I get it 100% complete and all my pics sorted.
I parked it in Oct, started to pull it apart around xmas, so its been a pretty quick process.
Basics are:
Bought an 89 Dakota to do a frame swap, but then changed my mind because the stock IHC frame was perfect and didn't have a single thing wrong with it.
-Body/box/fenders were sandblasted underneath via power washer sandblast unit from BE, then rust converted, then undercoated everything that the road sees. including the inside floor and wall inside the cab. every little bit helps keep the noise down.
-Dakota front clip spliced onto the stock frame.
-Stock column-deleted the 3 on the tree hole. I wanted to retain the stock steering wheel, because...well no explanation here. they just look **** cool!
-6" notch in rear with a 4 link running coil overs with Dakota rear end. Since the stock frame was in such good shape and I didn't have to cut and raise the bed to do the rear. Had to cut a rectangle hole in the box to make room for the notch, need to fab up a cover, but haven't decided on what I want it to look like just yet. Could be a winter to do??
-350 SBC with a Saginaw 4 spd.
-Stock Rad fit perfectly with the Dakota fan and engine. It was also rebuilt and I had a hard time wanting to throw money down the drain and try to make another one fit.
-All new rubber seals all around.
-wheels are a 15" American racing Torq Thrust. I wanted to go DSW, but then I looked at the prices. So they will have to wait. These wheels were ones left over from another build. They'll work just fine .
Left to do:
-Weld the stock front bumper on and make a new rear one, since mine came w/o the rear.
-Make a carpet kit and Dyanmat the cab, as its pretty noisy inside now.
-I pick up the stock bench this week. I wanted a nice clean look inside.